Page 78 of Penny & Royce

“Of course it is. But this isn’t about us. This is about family.”

Penny scoffed. “Family?”

Royce was her family.

She wanted to scream it out loud so no one could claim this feeling she had for Royce was wrong. It felt anything but wrong.

“This isn’t about family. This is about a decades-old grudge. And I’m not going to be a puppet in it. I love him, Mathew.”

Suddenly, all the color from Mathew’s face drained. His eyes flared as her words seemed to settle inside him.

“Really?” It was barely a whisper, and she wanted to believe she saw the hint of a smile toy at his lips. Maybe it was all in her imagination.

She didn’t smile, though. This was her life.

Her future.

“Really.”

“But you haven’t…” He shook his head, searching for the right words. “How long have you even known him?”

Penny shrugged. “How long did it take you to realize River meant the world to you? Was it the first time she laughed? The first time she smiled? Or when you looked into her eyes and could see a future where the world didn’t seem quite so gray anymore?”

Her life had been so void of color ever since she’d been attacked on her college campus. Survival became the name of the game. She’d learned how to move forward, getting so good at it that she made a career out of helping other people do the same.

But she’d never allowed herself to love.

Not until Royce.

Her brother took a tentative step toward her. “You love him.”

This time it wasn’t a question.

She nodded but had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep her emotion in check. She didn’t need Mathew to know Royce was here in her apartment. The last thing she needed was for him to know they were married.

One step at a time.

“You know this is a little crazy, right?” Mathew murmured, a small smile forming.

Penny offered one in return. “I guess you can’t help who you fall in love with, right?”

“Yeah, I guess not.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“What?”

“Uncle George. Our cousins. If you want to keep this a secret for a while… I won’t tell any of them.”

“Thank you, Mathew.”

He nodded. Then he moved toward the door. He only paused when he’d opened it a crack. “How’s he doing? Does he need anyone to check on how his injuries are healing?”

“He’s doing okay. I’ll let you know if that changes.”

In a movement she didn’t expect of herself, Penny crossed the room and pulled her big brother into her arms for a hug. There were no words to express just how much his acceptance meant.

Penny was snuggledinto Royce’s side after they’d gotten ready for bed when Royce murmured, “Someone stopped by today.”

She stilled, not willing to meet his gaze as she traced lines across the soft fabric of his T-shirt. “My brother, Mathew.”